RELATED ARTICLES

Share this article

Share

Campaigners claim the MoD is deliberately keeping the human cost of the war out of the public eye.

Tory defence spokesman Liam Fox will today table Commons questions calling on the Ministry of Defence to come clean. The Tories will also demand an investigation into how such damning figures could be suppressed.

Dr Fox said: 'We have been calling for some time to get better information and clearer numbers out of the Ministry of Defence. These figures would not have come to light if they had not been leaked, as appears to be the case.

A UK soldier on patrol in Afghanistan. The number of soldiers being seriously injured has increased as the Taliban has stepped up roadside bomb attacks

'We will call on them to reveal the full extent of what they do know, as in the past they have always maintained that they did not have the statistics. They owe it to the British public and the armed forces who make so many sacrifices for their country.'

Tory MP Patrick Mercer, chairman of the Commons anti-terror sub committee, said: 'The MoD claim the information is too expensive to collate, but these figures have been suppressed because they are extremely demoralising for troops going into battle.'

The MoD admitted at the weekend that 23 soldiers underwent amputations between December 2007 and November 2008, but said it was unable to provide a breakdown of other serious injuries.

The ministry has bought improved armoured vehicles, but the Taliban are simply planting larger amounts of explosives.

In several cases soldiers in new Mastiff vehicles were protected from the initial blast but lost legs below the knee as shockwaves reverberated through the vehicle.

Commanders have also demanded more helicopters so troops do not have to move by road. Last week a British operation had to use aircraft provided by the U.S. marines.

The MoD denied suppressing information and said it did not recognise the leaked figures. A spokesman said: 'It is not the case that the MoD are "hiding" casualty figures. Official statistics are published fortnightly on our website.'

A Mastiff armoured vehicle, used by British forces in Afghanistan. The vehicles were designed to protect soldiers from roadside bombs

Campaign groups also say the Government-must fund long-term care for maimed or mentally-disabled soldiers instead of relying on charities such as Help for Heroes and the Royal British Legion.

'I want to ensure this high standard of care continues when personnel leave the Armed Forces. I'm working with other government departments and service charities to ensure that we join up the excellent work that already goes on.'

Step-by-step, the Para rebuilding his world

Corporal Tom Neathway lost an arm and two legs in a roadside explosion in Afghanistan last July.

In the agonising months that followed, the 25-year-old from Worcester fought to walk again with the aid of artificial limbs.

Through sheer determination, he hit a major target when he climbed from a wheelchair and proudly stood to receive a campaign medal from Prince Charles in December.

The paratroop corporal came within a whisker of dying in the bomb attack.

During his stay at Selly Oak hospital in Birmingham, Cpl Neathway had to be resuscitated three times. He was later moved to Headley Court, a military rehabilitation centre in Surrey.

He said it had been a goal to stand to receive the medal from the prince and then walk the few short paces to chairs reserved for wounded soldiers.

'It's taken me two months of hard work. It probably should have taken longer,' he added. 'My next goal will be to get back to work. It's no good being down in the dumps, I live the same life as I lived before, it's just that now I'm in a wheelchair.'